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FINA World Junior Open Water Championships, which was held in Eilat, Israel from 6th to 8th September 2018

FINA World Junior Open Water Championships, which was held in Eilat, Israel from 6th to 8th September 2018

South Africa’s up and coming long-distance talent turned in a commendable performances at the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships, which was held in Eilat, Israel from 6th to 8th September 2018.

FINA World Junior Open Water Championships 2018

The 14 to 16 years 4x1250m relay team produced the best result at the competition where the quartet of Hendrik Louw, Dylan Wright, Hannah Pearse and Rebecca Meder finished in sixth place.

Louw got South Africa off to a good start leading the first lap and held onto the lead by the end of the second, but slipped down to finish in sixth place with a time of 59:56.4 with the Hungarian team winning the race in 56:48.1.

Sixteen-year-old Meder just missed out on a top 10 finish in her age group 7.5km race, ending in 13th place with a time of 1:34:42.3, just over two and a half minutes behind winner Chase Travis of the United States racing home in a time of 1:32:02.8.

Compatriot Carla Antonopoulos finished behind Meder in 25th place with a time of 1:39:39.8.

In the boys’ race, Louw finished in 15th place with a time of 1:27:28.8, three minutes, and three seconds from the French winner Jean-Baptiste Clusman, while Wright concluded the race in 29th place with a time of 1:36:30.2.

Eric le Roux was South Africa’s top performer in the boys’ 18 to 19-year 10km race, finishing in 26th place in 2:01:43.5, with Refiloe Mashao completing the distance race in 32nd place with a time of 2:10:03.1.

In the girls’ race, Abi Meder finished in 16th place after fighting her way from the 20th position clocking 2:01:55.1.

In the 4x1250m Open Relay (19 years-old and under), the South African team consisting of Le Roux, Abi Meder, Robin Kinghorn and Mashao, and finished in 13th place with a time of 1:00:44.7. The French quartet won the race in 55:39.9.

Flippie van der Spuy finished 22nd and just over a minute behind the winner in the boys’ 14 to 15 years category 5km race, clocking 59:59.5, while teammate Connor Buck completed the race four places behind him with a time of 1:01:25.0.

In the girls’ race, Pearse and Trinity Hearne practically finished at the same time in 20th and 21st place in 1:08:54.0 and 1:08:54.4, respectively.